Virtual Season 1
by NCIS VS group
Summary: Chapter 5 now added. The next chapter should be up within the next week or so - I promise! (Bah! Emmy lied! Don't hurt me, girl! I decided this should be finished before we start the new one. Breaking in a bigger team.
1. Default Chapter

First off, NCIS isn't ours. Why's this necessary? It's quite obvious it doesn't belong to us, or this would be happening in the season premiere. Yes, us.

Alright everyone. This is the VERY belated beginning of the NCIS Virtual Season 1. We're sorry that this has taken so long, but… Screw the excuse. We're now trying for a bi-weekly update of the story. We being: me (cheezmunky, dorkygirl, sweetseptembersky, AshCarollakaOllieKat, Star 24, and Liv11. This season is a collaboration of our ideas.

Okay, our season starts right after Kate commandeers the car in 'Reveille'. For the sake of this story, the post-commandeering events in that episode didn't happen.

Episode 1: Taps

"Agent Gibbs." Gibbs looked up to see a raven-haired man standing in the middle of the bullpen. "Yeah, Balboa?" Balboa cleared his throat. "There's something your team oughta see. A body." Gibbs frowned as he stood up from his desk. "Okay. DiNozzo, c'mon. Call Kate on the way. Do we have the body?" "Uh, yes. In the morgue." Gibbs swiftly passed Balboa on his way to the elevator. "Let's go then." Tony speed dialed Kate's cell. Frowning when she didn't answer, he left a message. "She's not answering, boss." Gibbs sighed as the trio strode into the autopsy bay. "Maybe she's still at lunch with Ducky. Go find her." Balboa swallowed, hard. "Actually, there's no need to." He said as he unzipped a body bag. The men paled. There was a single bullet hole in Kate's forehead. "No. God, no." Tony whispered as he started backing from the room. He turned and ran through the morgue doors. He bumped into Abby on his way to the elevator and bolted for the stairs instead. Staring after Tony, Abby strolled into autopsy. "What's wrong with him? Body missing its testicles?" she joked. Gibbs and Balboa slowly turned to face her. "What? Who's on the table?" Abby stepped toward the body, but Gibbs blocked her path. "I don't think you want to see it." Gibbs murmured. "Of course wanna see it. What gives? It can't be that terrible." She swiftly ducked around Gibbs to the table. "Abby-" As she excitedly stared down at the body, her already pale face drained completely. Abby's knees buckled and she fell back into Gibbs, sobbing hysterically. "Oh my God!" Gibbs turned her around, cradling her in his arms. "Dammit! Why didn't you watch her?! Why?!" Abby screamed, pathetically beating at his chest. Gibbs only stroked her hair and held her tight, as she sobbed, and tears silently rolled down his cheeks.

Tony ran up the stairs, huffing and puffing along the way. When he finally ran out of energy, he collapsed onto the stairs. Why her? God, why her of all people? Frustrated, he hit the railing with his hand. No more banter, however flirtatious it may seem. I miss my friend, my partner, the girl who always teased me whenever I did something wrong. Teased. The past tense of everything sucks. Tony got to think about everything that has happened in the past year. Mini-Flashback(s) It was Kate's first time repelling, and just my luck, I was the one watching her back this time. I could tell she was scared. Hell, anyone with eyes and ears could tell she was scared. But she did it because we needed her to help us out on this investigation. She did it because she wanted this case solved so Mrs. Johnson didn't have to go off thinking everything was her fault. And for one of the few times that I've experienced, she trusted me with her life. And there was that time that Ari took her hostage along with Ducky and Gerald. She had me worried for hours. And even when I saw her, I still wasn't convinced that she was okay. I could sense she was beating herself up for this. I wanted nothing more than to try and talk to her and talk some sense into her, but it was clear that she didn't want to hear it from me. Then there was that question. The horrible question that still makes me wince and want to run. "What was it like tonguing a guy?" That was pretty low, especially for Kate. She was feeling a bit guilty about that afterwards, I could tell. It was getting to be a bit weird that I could sense what she's thinking.

END FLASHBACKS

Footsteps brought Tony out of his reminiscing reverie. "Um, Tony?" That voice was unmistakable. It was McGee. "Yeah, McGee?" "You okay?" The inevitable question, Tony thought bitterly. "Doesn't Gibbs need you somewhere?" Tony asked, trying to get rid off him. "Yeah, I was on my way over there, and I saw you, and I just…" McGee didn't get to finish his sentence as Tony shot him a look that clearly said, "Go to wherever you're needed NOW!" McGee ran off, and Tony let his headrest on the railing for a minute until it lolled down into his lap, and finally the tears came. ----------------------------------------------------

McGee wandered into the morgue where Gibbs had told him to report to. "Hey guys do you know what's up with…" he got cut off by the sight of Gibbs holding a sobbing and hysterical Abby. He walked over to where they were standing. A body it seemed like. "What's so upsetting over a… Oh my word." He had finally caught sight of the body. He bit his lip to stop from crying or screaming. Agent Balboa who was standing there and fiddling around with his hands, spoke up, "I have to go do some paperwork, if you guys need anything…" Gibbs cut him off with a quick nod and Balboa left. "Where's Ducky?" McGee asked quietly. "Lunch break," Gibbs replied just as softly, because Abby was still sobbing, although quietly, into his chest. He nodded quickly, showing he understood. He understood fine with the lunch break excuse, but with Agent Todd's death? Not a chance. "Oh my Lord," a quiet up to now Ducky startled the three standing in the morgue. "Is that…" the two men nodded. "How on Earth…" he started but was cut off once more by a "we don't know" from both Gibbs and McGee.

AN: The part up to the stars belongs to cheezmunky. The stars to the end belongs to dorkygirl. Other authors coming soon. Give us some ideas, REVIEW!


	2. Events of Eventuality

Okay, here it is. Chapter 2. Thanks for the reviews and ideas. I know you all aren't thrilled with us killing Kate. Sorry, that would be my fault. :D But, hang in there. Watch us play this out. With 6 authors, things may not end up as you think. This could get pretty twisted. Oh, this is mine, (cheezmunky.) I said we'd post bi-weekly, so we're doing it. Now we have 2 days to come up with the next chapter. Fun. And jtbwriter, it won't be totally disappointing, so just skim it or something. (The story, that is.)

Okies, here we go.

"I hate to say this, but we still have to do an autopsy." Gibbs softly said.

Abby violently pulled out of his arms. "No! You can't do that to her!" She screamed.

"Abby, we have to. There's no way around it. We have a procedure to follow."

"Procedure my ass!" Abby sobbed, putting herself between the men and Kate's body. "You won't touch her. I won't let you!" Gibbs moved forward, his arms opened to her.

"Stop. She won't be autopsied, damn it!" Abby's eyes blazed as she stared Gibbs down.

He lifted his hands in surrender and backed up a step. "You can't stay with her all night, Abby."

"Watch me." She determinedly gritted through clenched teeth.

Walking away, Gibbs nodded. "Alright. You have an hour to say goodbye. Then she has to go in the fridge."

With a final look back at Abby, the three men left the woman alone with her lost friend.

Tony woke up 30 minutes later on the stairs. 'Maybe it was just a nightmare.' He thought and dazedly began his descent back to autopsy. But the doors whooshing shut behind him coincided with the sinking of his heart. On the last table lay his partner, body bag unzipped down to her chest, and a pale hand rested in her hair. Tony's frown dissipated as he neared the table. Abby had fallen asleep, her head on the table next to Kate. Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were tearstained. She too had cried herself to sleep. He tentatively reached out to touch Kate, then stopped halfway there.

'If I don't touch her, maybe it'll go away. Maybe I'm still sleeping. Maybe..' Maybe was such an empty word. Full of unfounded hope. Tony's hand dropped back down to his side as he turned to leave the morgue. Abby was going to feel like hell when she woke up, but he wasn't going to make her face reality any sooner than she had too.

Abby tried to blink the light from her eyes as she sat up on the futon. 'Futon? What am I doing back in my lab- Kate!'

"Gibbs!" She yelled as she clambered to her feet and tore off running for the autopsy bay. Slamming the stair door open, she barreled into her boss.

"Don't touch her!" She yelled. Gibbs wrapped his arms around Abby, successfully restraining her.

"I'm sorry, Abby. It's already done. Ducky had Dr. Peterson do it after I carried you upstairs."

"Ducky? He let them cut Kate?!"

"We need to know how it happened. Why it happened. They found hay in her hair. We- I need you to run some tests."

Abby gave in with a shuddering sigh, tears once again trickling down her cheeks. "Fine. Let's nail the bastard. For Kate."

"That-a-girl." Gibbs murmured. Wiping the tears from her face, he let her go, and took her hand.

"Let's go get something to eat. It's 1000 and you haven't eaten since lunch yesterday…" He trailed off.

Abby's eyes widened. "10? I guess we should eat then." She muttered as she tried to peek into the morgue.

"Could I just-" She pleaded.

Gibbs shook his head. "No. Not right now. She's at the funeral home. The services are tomorrow."

The lab tech nodded. "I'm just gonna put some makeup on, then. I'm probably covered in mascara."

"Meet you out front in 5 minutes."

McGee sat up on the bullpen floor and groggily looked around. No one had gone home last night. No one had wanted to be alone. "Ducky?" McGee called out. "Dr. Mallard?"

A tousled graying head popped up from behind Gibbs' desk. "Yes, Agent McGee? Do you need something?" The pathologist asked as he fumbled around for his glasses.

"I was just wondering if you were still here. Agent Gibbs is already gone…Uh, did Tony go with him?"

"Probably not, my boy. Anthony didn't come back last night. We may not see him for a while."

McGee frowned in confusion. "But won't Gibbs be mad?"

Ducky sighed. "You don't understand Jethro. Or Anthony. They've just lost their closest friend. Jethro will let Anthony's absence go. As for Anthony, he needs time to contemplate what happened. He can't just-"

"'Morning, Ducky. Mornin' McGee. Is Gibbs out with Abby?"

The two men just stared up at Tony in shock. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was in disarray, but he was his usual cheery self. Unless they'd been told, no one could possibly tell that he'd just lost his partner. "We..don't know. Anthony, what are you-?"

Tony waved Ducky off as he headed toward the elevator. "When he gets back, tell him I've gone to Kate's. I'm gonna find out what happened."

Ducky stared after Tony as the doors closed behind him. "He seems fine to me, Ducky." McGee said with a shrug.

Ducky shook his head and deeply sighed. "No, my dear boy. Anthony wears his heart on his sleeve. This is worse than any of us thought. Call Jethro."


	3. Chapter Three: Kate's Apartment

(AN: I must apologize for the lateness of this chapter, it's my fault really. I kind of got busy and then let everything slide. I must also apologize for how bad this is. I will admit that while I'm an avid fan of the show, I haven't seen many episodes. This is also a totally different style of writing for me in 2 ways: 1.) this isn't as dark as I normally write and 2.) I typically do more character driven stories, rather than case driven. So, this is a change for me. (Me is ForensicFreak, btw. I write for CSI, incase anyone's interested. The first part with Abby and Gibbs was written by cheesm)  
Anyways, on to the story!

* * *

Gibbs cell rang in his pocket. Glancing up, he saw Abby absorbed in eating her breakfast.

"Answer it", she mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes.  
  
'Whoever it is better have a damned good reason for calling', he thought.  
  
"Gibbs", he answered.  
  
"Uh, hello, Agent Gibbs. We- have a problem."  
  
Gibbs sighed. "McGee, we have a lot of problems right now."  
  
"Uh, Ducky told me to call. It's about Tony."  
  
Gibbs stiffened. "What happened?"  
  
"It's not so much what happened as-" Ducky muttered at McGee and snatched the phone away.  
  
"He's not physically hurt, Jethro." Gibbs deeply sighed.  
  
"So what's wrong? Did he break down?"  
  
Abby quizzically looked up.  
  
"No, that's just it. He isn't reacting at all. His eyes were swollen, but that was all."  
  
Gibbs pursed his lips. "Where is he now?"  
  
"He went to Caitlyn's home to find out what happened."  
  
Gibbs was silent for a moment. "I'll get him when it's time. He needs something to do; keep him close to her."  
  
"He's trying to salvage a severed thread. Is that really prudent-"  
  
Gibbs cut him off. "Ducky, he needs this to move on. Just let him work it out on his own."  
  
"Alright. How's Abigail?"  
  
"Better," Gibbs carefully replied. "We're eating breakfast."  
  
"You know Jethro, 'we' means more than one. You should be eating also. I'll be in touch." Before Gibbs could comment, he heard the dialtone on the other end of the line.

Gibbs snorted in amusement before turning back to Abby. He grabbed a plate and took 2 of the pancakes off the plate in front of him, taking Ducky's advice.

* * *

Tony let himself into Kate's apartment after finding a spare key under the doormat. He checked the door for signs of forced entry, looking for any clues as to what had happened. Not finding anything, he moved further into the apartment. Tony grabbed the tape recorder from his equipment bag and got started on the walk-thru.  
  
"Kitchen, pantry door open." He walked over to it and pushed it all the way open. "Nothing unusual. Cereal, dry pasta, baking goods, canned tuna... lots of tuna." He shook his head, unsure of why she had such a large amount of tuna. "Large jar of peanut butter. Nothing misplaced, or broken."  
  
He moved on to the refridgerator. "'Fridge. Nothing out of the ordinary. Styrofoam containers containing... homecooked meals. No more than a few days old."  
  
Tony moved out of the kitchen and towards her bedroom. "Bedroom. Door open, top dresser drawer ajar." He moved closer to see if it might yeild any clues. Flushing bright red at what he saw, he cleared his throat as he pulled out a very skimpy pair of black satin underwear. "Underwear drawer. Nothing of interest." Tony turned the tape recorder off and set it down on the bed, giving up on finding anything helpful in the apartment. As he put his finding away, he felt something plastic-y beneath his fingers. Pushing away various undergarments, he discovered a large bag of M&Ms. Tony gave a small smile. Covering the candy back up, he closed the drawer.  
  
A wave of drowsiness overcame Tony as he sank to the floor beside Kate's bed. He closed his eyes, telling himself he'd just rest his eyes for a few moments before going back to work.

===

Everything was dark, very dark. And cold. Suddenly a hand came out of the darkness and slapped someone. The blood dripped from their lip... it happened again. Everything went back to dark.

===

Tony moved restlessly in his sleep, trying to get more comfortable as his mind played more dark images.

===

They were sitting outside, under a large tree on a farm. Murmured voices, then a shout and a gunshot. Everything went black again.

===

Tony jumped as he heard a gunshot in his mind. He turned ghostly pale and swallowed slowly as he realized who the person in his dreams was: Kate.

* * *

Still shaken up by his dream, Tony grabbed his gear and started to leave when he heard a soft mewling and scratching sound coming from the kitchen. Walking towards the kitchen, he looked in and saw a skinny tabby cat on the window sill, meowing quietly. He went over to the window and opened it, grabbing the cat.

"Hey there, little guy. Where'd you come from?" His only response was a deep rumbling from the cat's chest. "I bet you're hungry, aren't ya? Let's see what we can find for you to eat..." Remembering the canned tuna in Kate's pantry, Tony opened the pantry door. Feeling the cat trying to get out of his arms, he set it down on the floor while he opened the can. Setting the can on the floor, he sat down to rub the cat's ears as it ate.

He'd never figured Kate to be a cat-person; she seemed more of a dog-lover to him. Since there was nothing to suggest the cat lived in Kate's apartment, Tony figured that she must have taken pity of the poor stray and fed it, perhaps occassionally letting it in during the winter so it wouldn't freeze. When the cat finished eating, she climbed onto his lap and rubbed against his chest. Tony couldn't help the smile that crossed his features as he thought of what Kate would think of him, sitting in her kitchen and playing with her stray cat.

Glancing at his watch, he knew he should be leaving soon if he wanted to get back to work in time to see what Abby's analysis of the hay found in Kate's hair was. He picked up the cat, and set her back outside. "I've gotta go now, buddy... but I'll come back later to check on you. I promise."

Walking back to the door, he took one last look around before shutting and looking the door behind him.

(To be continued...)


	4. Solitaire

_Notes: Chapter 4 of the virtual season. Picks up right after Chapter 3 ends. A lot of the ideas for the beginning of this chapter were taken from Tim McGraw's "Can't Be Really Gone". It just seemed to fit.___

_Rating: PG-13 to be safe. But suffice it to say that if you can watch the show, you read this fic.___

_Disclaimer: NCIS belongs to Donald P. Belisario and Belisarius Productions, et al. Not mine, don't sue._   


Solitaire   
© 2004, By: Ash Carroll (a.k.a. OlliKat)   
  
Tony let himself in, noting that the cat was still sitting outside the door. "Come on, girl," he urged, indicating the open door. 

The animal mewled softly and sprinted inside. It rubbed against his legs and he bent to scratch its ears. 

"Guess someone else is gonna have to take care of you now, huh? You wanna come live with me?" 

The tabby purred loudly, rubbing her face against his hand. He looked down with a small half-smile. 

"I'll take that as a yes. Now that the question of your home is settled, a name would be nice." He thought for a moment. "What about Tigress?" She mewled happily, and he gave the smallest of chuckles. "Tigress it is, then. Wait here, okay? There's something I need to do." 

The cat mewled again, acknowledging the request, and he turned, surveying the apartment. His earlier inspection had revealed nothing out of the ordinary; at least nothing that he would notice. 

And that was the problem. 

He'd discovered that she used Pantene shampoo; that she liked the scent of roses and had a weakness for M&Ms, but the answers to his most important questions had eluded him. Call him selfish, but he needed those answers. He needed to know why she'd been murdered; needed to know who'd done it so he could make them pay. And he obviously wasn't going to find the answers here. He'd known that this afternoon. 

Still, he'd had to return, and not just because of the cat. He hadn't had the chance to grieve, and in all honesty, he'd been putting it off. Because once he started, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop. It would be too real; too...final. And he liked the surreal little world he was living in now, the one where Kate was going to walk into the bullpen, sit down at her desk, and start their usual banter. 

He looked around the apartment. Funny how it seemed not to know that she wasn't coming back. A straw hat hung by the front door, so unlike the all-business Kate he knew; and a pair of shoes sat in the entryway, as if waiting for her to come down the hall and slip them on again. 

He made his way back to her room. A book sat on her bed. A romance novel; hardcover. Picking it up, he flipped it open to chapter twenty-one, where she'd marked her place, as the worn playing card she'd been using for a bookmark fluttered into his hand. 

He looked down at it. The two of hearts, ironically enough. 

A smile, small and sad, curved his lips; he'd always figured her for a soft-heart. Replacing the card, he closed the book and laid it carefully back on the bed, glancing at his surroundings. It was almost as though she'd gone on vacation. So much of her remained in the room, in the apartment, that he didn't know how he was supposed to accept that she wasn't coming back. 

"Meow." 

He looked down to discover that Tigress had wandered her way into the room and was now sitting at his feet, looking up at him with expectant eyes. He leaned down and scooped her into his arms. 

"Ready to go, huh?" 

She responsed with a soft mewl as he headed for the front door. Turning back, he gave the apartment a final glance and sighed. 

"Yeah, me too."   


-----------------------------------------------------------------   
  
A rough, wet tongue swept across his chin, rousing him from his fitful sleep. Prying his eyes open, he stared into the tabby's face. She eyed him with an expectant look, mewling softly. 

"I know, I know," he muttered, pulling himself out of bed, "you want your tuna." 

It had become something of a routine with them after bringing her home from Kate's a week ago; every morning she'd lick his face and mewl until he fed her. He'd tried keeping her out of his bed, but one way or another, she always managed to worm her way back in. He didn't mind it so much now, though. He'd gotten used to it the first couple of days, and decided it was better than being alone with the nightmares. 

Padding out to the kitchen, he popped a can of tuna, dumping it into her bowl, and set it on the floor. She wasted no time in devouring it, and sat back on her haunches when she'd finished, daintily licking her paws, before cocking her head to look up at him with a quizzical expression. 

She was probably wondering why he wasn't rushing off to work like usual. He looked down at her, squatting to scratch behind her ears. "Not this morning. This morning..." he sighed, "I have somewhere else I need to be." 

He wondered if she knew what today was. He doubted it, and found himself envious of her ignorance. Because he knew he'd never forget this day; it was the day he'd have to accept the fact that she wasn't coming back.   


-----------------------------------------------------------------   
  
The funeral director met the group of six men out front, draping the cream-colored pall over the mahogany casket, before instructing the men on where they were to stand. Gibbs, Dinozzo, Ducky, and McGee each took a corner, with a Marine lieutenant in the middle of one side and a Navy lieutenant in the middle of the other; the only concession that Ian and Elizabeth Todd had made in what was to be an otherwise traditional Catholic service. 

Processing in, they positioned the casket at the front, beside the stand that held her picture, and took their seats. The small church was packed, a sea of mourners settled in its pews; family, friends, NCIS co-workers, and several former colleagues from the Secret Service. Her sister, Amy, and brother, Brandon, had flown in from opposite coasts, flanking their parents in the first row 

The priest raised his arms, inviting the congregation to stand as he began with the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We're gathered here today to bid farewell to our sister in Christ, Caitlyn Elizabeth Todd..." 

Gibbs half-listened as the robed man spewed platitudes he thought would comfort grieving family and friends. Now he remembered why he'd turned away from religion. She didn't die because it was part of some master plan, she died because some bastard _murdered_ her. 

And his team wasn't going to rest until they found out who. 

He glanced at Tony, seated to his right. His face was haggard; green eyes bloodshot and uncharacteristically dim. Ducky and McGee had expressed concern, and though he'd tried to assuage their fears, telling them he'd be okay, he wasn't sure how much of it he believed. Frankly, it was difficult to conceive that any of them would _ever_ be okay, but maybe that was just the grief talking. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Abby gently nudging his arm. "Gibbs," she whispered, indicating the front of the room with her eyes, "it's your turn." 

He shook his head to clear it, then rose slowly and made his way to the front, looking out at the ocean of people before him. 

"Caitlyn Todd was one of the best. She had good instincts; she was smart, and tough, and outspoken." He gave a soft smile. "And opinionated. Boy, if she had something to say to you, she'd say it." 

Several chuckles rose from the group. 

"She was one of the best agents I've ever had, but she was also one of the best people I've ever known. She was compassionate with victim's families, brave enough to confront her fears, even on the job, you could always trust her to have your back. She was dedicated; to her friends, her family, her job, and her country. And she'll be greatly missed by everyone who was lucky enough to know her." 

He reclaimed his seat as the organist began to play. When the song was over, the priest rose for the final blessing, the six pallbearers once again making their way to the casket. 

"We commend Caitlyn's spirit to reside with the Heavenly Father and all those who have gone before her. May the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour grant her eternal life, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." 

The casket was escorted back outside and loaded into the hearse for the ride to the cemetery.   


-----------------------------------------------------------------   
  
Tony returned home several hours later, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Gibbs had told everyone to take an extra couple hours in the morning, and he was glad, because the lack of sleep the past week was finally catching up to him. 

Tigress followed him back into the bedroom as he stripped down to his boxers and practically fell into bed. Jumping up next to him, she climbed onto his chest, nuzzling his chin with a soft mewl. 

"I know, girl," he soothed, rubbing her ears. 

He closed his eyes, twin tears leaking through his lashes to run down his cheeks. 

"I miss her, too."   
  


To be Continued....................... 


	5. Gutted

**Notes:** I have no excuse for the lateness of this chapter. It has, literally, been sitting on my hard drive for close to 3 weeks. Hopefully, we can get back to a regular schedule of posting before the new season starts, and we won't have to run over too much into it.  
I completely blame the last part of this chapter on my love for the Gibbs/Abby 'ship. grin It isn't a super-'shippy scene, more friendship, but I just couldn't resist. Also, in case anyone doesn't know for whatever reasons, DB stands for dead body and AFIS is Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems. I hope everyone is enjoying the VS so far, and I promise you that Kate's death will be dealt with more later on, for those who were wondering how it played into the season.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS, anything that closely resembles NCIS, or AFIS. Also, the character of Jonas Quinn, while he doesn't not exist in the NCIS world, he was a character on the SciFi series who replaced Daniel when Michael left the show. I just saw the episode where Daniel "dies", and I harbor just a slight bit of anger towards Jonas. mutters under breath about stupid aliens and their dang radioactive devices

* * *

**Gutted**

**By ForensicFreak**

Tony hung from the cord wrapped around his waist, wondering what God he had pissed off this time to deserve a punishment like this. Not only was he suspended a few thousand feet above the ground, but he was surrounded by blood and, literally, guts. What had originally started out as a suspected accidental death, had now become a priority 1 murder investigation. Petty Officer Jonas Quinn was found by some hikers hanging down a ravine where he had apparently been bungee-jumping. From the top of the ravine, it looked like he had gotten himself caught in the cords, and choked to death before he could get himself untangled. But when Gibbs made Tony repel down the ravine himself to collect evidence and help send the body up to Ducky, he had found the young man's stomach cut wide open, his internal organs spread across the wall of the ravine.

"Gibbs, this is disgusting. Why don't you just make some new agent do this?"

"Because, Dinozzo, this is a sensative case. And with the evidence all over the walls, I don't want some rookie screwing this up."

Tony sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this argument. As he signaled for them to lower the body bag, he manuvered himself closer to the body. The closer he got, the worse the smell was. "Oh, this is so disgusting..."

* * *

****

3 showers and a fresh change of clothes later, Tony sat down with the Petty Officer's file. As he started to read, Gibbs blew by him on his way to Abby's lab. "Hey, wait up boss. What's up?" Closing the file he ran after Gibbs, catching up to him easily.

"Abbs has our results from the analysis of the blood on the cord that was holding up Petty Officer Qunn."

"Great. When's she gonna have our--"

Gibbs stopped suddenly, and Tony barely stopped from smashing into him. "Where do you think you're going, Dinozzo?"

"I thought I was going with you to check on the results."  
  
"No, you are going to read through the Petty Officer's file and then start finding out where he's been stationed at. After that, we're going to pay a visit to his CO."

"Okay, boss." Tony replied, slightly puzzled as to why Gibbs was being such a hardass. Usually, they would all go to the autopsy and get the results together. He could understand Gibbs not wanting him at the autopsy; he hadn't exactly smelled the most pleasent after spending a few hours in the hot sun with a rank DB. Shaking his head, he sat back down and started to read through the file, trying not to think about the empty desk across from him.

* * *

****

"Abby, what've you got for me?"

"Nice to see you too Gibbs." Abby joked, turning down her music. "The blood from the cord, it matches Quinn's. I'm still running the bloody fingerprints Tony found through AFIS. If there's any matches, they should be turning up soon."

Gibbs nodded. "Nice work." Leaning against the edge of her desk, his voice dropped to a near whisper. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. It's a little easier to deal with now." Abby looked away. "The fibers you found on Kate's body? I've got them analyzed. Nothing out of the ordinary, just everyday white fibers. They could be from anything and come from anywhere." Noticing Gibbs's disappointed look, she glanced down at her desk while blinking back the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's not your fault. If there was nothing to find on those fibers, then there was nothing to find. Don't blame yourself."

"I just wish I could do more. It's not fair! This shouldn't have happened to her..." Quietly cursing as the tears started trailing down her cheeks, she felt herself being pulled from her chair and into Gibbs's arms.

They just held each other, both still mourning the loss of their friend.


	6. Whatever it Takes

AN: Almost afraid to tell you who I am, 'cuz y'all will lynch me for leaving this story DIW. Oh Hell. It's.. cheezmunky. shields her face with her arms Sorry it's been so long. SOMEBODY gave up on it. Not naming anyone cough Emmy, Livi, Star, Ash, and Krys(cough) I love you guys:D But where are your twisted little butts? Or heads, whatever. I can't tell the difference. insert cheeky grin for the Kate comment Ha! Now you'll HAVE to email me. If it is only to cuss me out. I'm recruiting more people. I didn't realize what a large project this is. :( Okay, Jennifer Paris Morgan and Abby, this chapter is dedicated to you. And yes, Jenni, the last crappie of NAO was dedicated to you too. Love ya! Oh, Ashes, Kelly, Megan, Vanessa, and everyone else who's emailed me lately, I WILL get back to you. Just takes me a while. My journal's due for an update. And Jenni, Kelly, I have a BRILLIANT idea! Ask me. Hehe. Okay, Read on! And SOMEBODY REPLY AND HELP ME!  
Oh, and Happy B-day Charmed Angel! Yours is only 4 days before mine. I'll be sweet 16 on January 13th. Weeee! (God, I'm getting old. Decisions suck! That's the name of a song I wrote. :D) Jeez, Julie. I just got your review. That was fast! Luv ya! Oops, story...

"Hey Abbs." Tony said as he entered the lab.

"Hey, Tony. What's up?"

Her question was directed at why he was in the lab, but it's simplicity encompassed many of her thoughts. Out of everyone, Kate's death toll was affecting Tony the harshest. His jokes were empty, and his easy grins were half-hearted and hard to come by. Even the omnipresent twinkle in his eye was missing; gone with Kate's  
corpse.

"I came for the lab workup on Jonas Quinn and his killer. JAG's here for it."

"I could've taken it, Tony. You didn't have to come." Abby gently said as she watched Tony sign the chain of evidence form.

"I just thought I'd see how her evidence is going. Do Balboa and them have any suspects yet?" he hopefully asked.

"It's, um. Tony, I'm sorry. I don't have much to work with. Balboa doesn't even have a crime scene yet. The bullet's still running through IBIS and her stomach contents are still in the system. I'll let you know if we get a hit." She promised.

"When, Abby. Not if. Never if." Tony almost looked like he was going to cry, but with the blink of his eyes, the vulnerability vanished, replaced by a hard, empty shell.

"Well, Abbs. I'd better get this up to the bullpen before the legal weenie gets lost trying to come down here." He half joked.

"Yeah." Abby gave an equally hollow laugh as she watched her friend leave her lab.

"God, help him." she whispered.

Tony set the evidence box and evidence slip down on a desk in front of the legal aide.

"Here you go lieutenant. Everything you need to show the jury that the bastard should rot in Hell. Or prison. Only the innocent seem to die these days.."

"Yeah. Life's a bitch, isn't it? Thanks, boys. I'll bring this back around in a few hours."

"No problem, ma'am."

The young, blonde sailor sauntered off to the elevator, but Tony immediately sat down to start on his paperwork. He didn't even watch her leave. Gibbs frowned. He didn't like what he was seeing. It was a reflection of himself. But Tony's workaholic attitude stemmed from a deeper sense of loss than a divorce. He'd lost his best friend. A friend, who it seemed, meant more to him than he'd ever let on. Gibbs would rather have to put up with the younger man's incessant jokes and bantering than the eerie solemnity he was witness to now. He finally spoke up.

"DiNozzo, I'm going for coffee. Wanna join me?"

Tony barely glanced up, but Gibbs stomach clenched at the look in Tony's eyes. His vibrant personality had been rapidly receding, but nothing had prepared him for that look. There was no visible trace of the old Tony left.

"No thanks, Boss. I need to finish up this report for the Forsythe case."

"Mmhmm." was all Gibbs said, and he wasn't even sure Tony heard him as he stepped into the elevator. His finger hovered over the lobby button for a moment, but his subconscious drifted it over to the first basement, and Gibbs soon found himself in the lab.  
The only sound in the lab was the clacking of the keyboard as Abby typed furiously at her computer.

"Abby, where's the music?"

He heard her sniffle before she replied. "I forgot to change the CD." she mumbled.

Gibbs crossed the room to her and gently settled his hands on her shoulders. "Abbs, what is it?" he whispered.

She slowly wheeled her chair around and he saw how puffy her eyes were. Her mascara had run all the way down her neck.

"Abby..."

At her name, the girl broke down sobbing. Gibbs silently pulled her into his arms, and deftly kissed the top of her head.

"I know you miss her."

Abby hiccupped into his shirt as she shook her head. "I'm not crying for Kate. I'm crying for Tony. He's as dead inside as she is. I've lost two friends. Kate's body is gone, but Tony- He's torn in every sense of the word, and I can't bring him back!"

"He's just grieving, Abby. It's only been two weeks."

Abby sharply pulled back to look him in the eyes. "He's not grieving, Gibbs. Tony's in my lab to check on Kate's case every day. Sometimes six and seven times. 'How's the bullet?' 'Does Balboa have any leads yet?' 'Can you run any more tests on the hay?' He's obsessed and he's slipping away. We have to help him. We have to do...something! We can't just sit here and watch.." Abby trailed off, sobbing into him as he tried to restrain himself from crying too.

"We'll help him, Abby. I'll pull some strings with the director and get our case back. We won't let Tony do this alone. We'll get him back, Abby."  
At that point Gibbs' voice cracked.

"Whatever it takes."


	7. Not Boredom This Time

**By: Kels a.k.a TheBlondeOne**

**A/N: I know it's really short, forgive me? And this is my first chapter for Virtual Season, so give me a break, please, lol.**

Abby sighed. Gibbs just walked out, leaving her alone. She looked around her lab. She stood up, and moved to her desk where she and Kate had had so many girl talks. She smiled to herself. Kate was always such a good ear. She sat down at her chair, and blew out a deep breath. She took another look around her lab. Well, Gibbs had his results. Nobody else had anything for her to do.

Suddenly, her telephone rang. She glanced at it, wondering if she wanted to pick it up, and actually do some more work, or if she just wanted to sit there to her own thoughts. She hastily reached for her phone, knowing that her thoughts would eventually lead her to Tony, or Kate, either one; she really didn't want to think about.

"Abby."

"I need you to run some tests on Agent Todd's blood."

"Balboa?"

"Yes, would you run the tests?"

"Well, what kind of tests? And why?" Abby questioned.

"Tox tests. I want to know if she was drugged. Agent Todd would have put up some sort of a fight. Maybe he used a certain drug that we can trace."

Abby nodded. "Okay."

"You've got her blood?"

"Yea, I kept some just in case."

"Alright, call me when you get something." And with that, he hung up.

Abby looked at the phone for a minute, for the conversation to sink in. When it did, she quickly hung up the phone. She moved over to the glass cabinet and picked up the vile that was placed away from the others. Sighing, she nodded in satisfaction at the vile that read 'Todd, Caitlin'. On her way over to her computer, and equipment, she decided to run every single test that she could imagine on this blood. That might get some leads, so they could catch this bastard.


End file.
